Several rescued from burning apartment building

MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Cordova area apartment building burst into flames early Monday morning leaving six families with nowhere to live.

The fire started just after 3:00 a.m. at the Lincoln at Wolfchase complex off of Rockcreek Parkway.

“It was very terrifying to say the least,” Sherida Lovelace said.

Lovelace was in the building when the fire broke out.

“I’m on the top floor. So, I wasn’t aware of it until I heard some screams and some yells for help,” Lovelace explained. “Opened the door and a cloud of smoke was in the breezeway and just rushed in.”

Her lungs filled with smoke, Lovelace did not know if she was going to make it out of the building alive, “Unexplainable. Especially when you’re inhaling the smoke and going through a cloud where you can’t see. It’s the real deal. So it’s very very scary.”

With fear aside, neighbors like Antonio Matthews braved the flames.

“I came running down. Myself and a few other neighbors were already out here,” Matthews recalled. “We started knocking on windows and doors trying to wake up the other neighbors in the building to make sure everyone got out safely,” he said.

Matthews told WREG firefighters got there just in time, “I saw one of the fireman kick the door in with the hose and run right in with the flames shooting out.”

The fire left a big mess behind.

Firefighters said it all started when a dryer burst into flames inside a first floor apartment.

Six people were trapped on the second and third floors with nowhere to turn.

Everyone was able to make it out of the building with the help of firefighters, smoke alarms, and help from neighbors.

“I think that’s what saved our lives. We helped each other out,” Lovelace said. “Now we just have to fine tune the things that kind of went wrong and just be happy that nobody got hurt.”

The Red Cross is assisting three out of the six families with food, shelter, and other basic needs.